There are a variety of approaches for forming particles from flowable masses. Often the flowable mass is a melt. Melts are commonly prepared by providing one or more raw materials in a molten form into a batch mixer. The mixer is sized and dimensioned to provide for a desired residence time for the raw material or materials in the mixer to sufficiently mix and/or react the raw material or materials and provide a uniform temperature to the melt. After exiting the batch mixer, the melt can optionally be passed through one or more filters to remove deleterious matter. The melt is then fed into a feed pump that moves the melt via a feed pipe from the feed pump to the apparatus that dispenses the melt to form particles.
There are a variety of uses for particles and the utility of particles for such uses can depend on the unit weight of the particles. For instance, in some uses it can be desirable for the particles to able to be suspended in a liquid. In other uses, it can be desirable for particles that sink in a liquid. Still in other uses, it can be desirable for particles to float in a liquid.
With these limitations in mind, there is a continuing unaddressed need for an apparatus and process for forming particles that provides for the ability to manufacture particles having a desired unit weight.